One Winner, 12 Friends & a Great Night In

– 6 Feb. 2017 –

How would you celebrate if you’d won a Timothy Oulton Hudson sideboard filled with champagne? Our lucky competition winner invited his closest friends for a surprisingly great night in at the Timothy Oulton gallery in Amsterdam, where a few surprises were in store…

At Timothy Oulton, we’ve been on a quest to revive the lost art of hosting for a while now. As enthusiastic proponents of a great night in, we recently launched the Hudson cabinetry range, inspired by 1920s speakeasies – those clandestine establishments where you could enjoy a drink and let your hair down. Celebrating the launch with a competition, we decided the only thing better than winning a beautifully handcrafted Hudson sideboard was to fill it with Veuve Clicquot champagne. Cheers to that.

Many of you entered from across the globe, but there could only be one winner – Mr Carlos Roman from Amsterdam. After congratulating Carlos on his win, we wanted to share this special occasion with him, and offered to host Carlos and his friends for an intimate celebration in the Amstelveenseweg gallery.

Every memorable evening starts with a great bunch of people, and we were delighted to welcome 12 of Carlos’s close friends and colleagues – a truly international mix hailing from Puerto Rico, Singapore and the Netherlands.

Once you’ve got the right mix of people, the next thing to ensure the success of a great night in is of course the drinks. Corks flew and the champagne flowed as our guests chatted next to our show-stopping centrepiece – the Hudson sideboard, soon to be in Carlos’s home. And yes it really did dazzle up close. Carlos said: “I love the fact that when you close it is looks very simple and conservative, but it is really all a big party inside.” And who doesn’t love a party.

The Hudson’s stealthy design is what gives it that sense of the unexpected. Once opened, it reveals a myriad of compartments housing all the drinks and accoutrements needed to shake up a storm. Demonstrating some vigorous shaking action at the Hudson fridge cupboard was our guest mixologist for the evening, who was busy crafting four different champagne cocktails – blended, shaken and poured with expert precision.

It was a wonderful atmosphere amongst friends and the group chilled and chatted on our super comfy sofas – sinking into the Pincushion, Nirvana and Zenna sectionals. As Carlos has just moved into a new apartment he decided to try out our 3D Room Planning service to see how his favourite pieces would look: “The Timothy Oulton team have made an incredible design for my living room with the Zenna set and Axel square mirror. The Saddle Chair is also on my wish list!”

Inevitably the evening went on later than planned – but that’s what “speakeasy” is all about – starting a little earlier, going on a little later, opening up and sharing with good friends…

Meet the winner…

We got to know Carlos a bit better and talked parties, cheeky tipples and his favourite secret speakeasies.

Carlos, congratulations on winning. How are you going to celebrate?

What better way than by putting the sideboard to good use, I’m going to throw a party at my new place. The Timothy Oulton team have designed a great living area for me so I am looking forward to hosting my friends in my new apartment – drinking a lot of Veuve Clicquot.

What’s your idea of a surprisingly great night in?

I love to do a lot of blind wine tastings with my friends and there’s nothing more incredible than discovering a great small production wine from an “off the beaten path” winery. Accompanied by great food and friends of course.

Which one of our 4 hosting moments do you enjoy most? The Roaring Party, 8 Till Late Cocktails, Games Night or Cheeky Tipple? See four hosting moments here.

Your prize is perfect for a Roaring Party! What’s the most memorable Roaring Party you’ve been to?

Wow, this is a very hard question. Every time I think of one another one pops into my head. Top 5 definitely have to be my friend Hector’s 30th birthday party in New York (you can catch a glimpse on YouTube), hosting our annual Singapore Formula 1 parties, my friend Melissa’s wedding in New York, carnivals (Brazil and New Orleans) and last but not least my numerous unforgettable island parties in Puerto Rico, St Barts and Virgin Gorda.

Have you had any particularly Cheeky Tipples you can tell us about?

Lots of them. My Saturdays living in Hong Kong and Singapore were memorable for starting early and going on late – enjoying champagne, wines, cigars, whiskies and cognacs.

You used to live in Hong Kong and Singapore before moving to Amsterdam. Which city has the best hidden speakeasy bars?

My favourites are Kilo Lounge and Hong Kong 28 in Singapore, Ping Pong Gintoneria and 001 in Hong Kong and The Butcher and Door 74 in Amsterdam.

Can you reveal your top tip for hosting a great night in?

Diversity. We celebrated my birthday over the summer with a two week wine trip across Spain and I had friends from six continents (only Antarctica missing!). There is nothing better to get a party going than gathering people from all over the world and getting them to mingle.

21 Dec. 2017 - Events

Connecting with and nurturing emerging talent in design is something very close to our heart at Timothy Oulton, so we were thrilled to collaborate with the American Society of Interior Designers for a recent panel discussion at the Orange County gallery.

20 Dec. 2017 - Events

The University of Oxford, the oldest learning institution in the world, has propelled its students to success far and wide across the globe. In San Francisco, the Timothy Oulton gallery was proud to recently host some distinguished members of The Oxford Alumni Northern California for its annual holiday mixer.

18 Dec. 2017 - Events

English philosopher John Locke said: “Education begins the gentleman, but reading, good company and reflection must finish him.” Well we were certainly in good company when we hosted a Gentlemen’s Evening last week in London, with a group of fine city gents and lasses together with some of the capital’s most elegant lifestyle brands.

11 Dec. 2017 - Events

Celebrating the modern gentleman, the Amsterdam gallery on Amstelveenseweg hosted a discerning group of ladies and gents last week for a homage to style and craftsmanship, together with some of the city’s top lifestyle brands.

British furniture and interiors company Timothy Oulton is known for its creative collections including distinctive handcrafted leather furniture, unique lighting and home accessories. Exuding the perfect balance of tradition and modernity, each piece is pervaded by a passion for traditional handcraftsmanship and a fearless quest for innovation.

“There is character and soul in what we do. The material we use, the link to heritage, the designs, that combination is unique.“